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I was sipping a glass of alcoholic cider the other day and was amazed by its beguiling flavour. Like good wine, the blend of fruit — apples — used created a liquid that danced on my tongue and delighted my palate.

Like good wine, its taste also made me certain that cider could bolster the taste of a wide range of dishes. Inspired, with glass of cider in hand, I headed to the kitchen and cooked up three recipes.

It must be the fall weather, because I've been on bit of soup bender of late and decided to incorporate some cider in a yam-based one. To make it, cubes of that tuber, which is actually an orange-fleshed sweet potato, were simmered with stock, cider, apple and an aromatic, six-pack of spices that included cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg. When the yams were tender, the soup was blended creating a smooth, hot, flavourful mixture that took the chill out of that damp, November day.

I moved on to try infusing the taste of cider into a salad. I did that by poaching another autumn fruit, pears, which were peeled, halved and cored, in sparkling cider and other flavourings. Those pears were then sliced and used as a topping for vinaigrette-tossed spinach salad also accented with walnuts and blue cheese. Some of the poaching liquid was used in the dressing for the salad that could be served as a main course accompanied with some warm slices of crusty bread.

Pleased with my cider-spiked soup and salad, it was time try cider in an entree and I chose chicken. To make the dish, I seared boneless, skinless chicken breasts until just cooked through. The chicken was removed from the skillet and in went some sage and cider, which I simmered and reduced to concentrate its flavour. Whipping cream was added and simmered until a thickened sauce formed. Tangy, whole-grain Dijon mustard was whisked in and a bit of honey added to balance the former’s sharpness. The chicken was returned to the pan and heated through a few minutes. The resulting, French-style chicken dish was divinely rich and I served it with boiled potatoes and steamed green beans.

The alcoholic beverage called cider is made from fermented apple juice. It comes in a range of styles, from being still to sparkling, to being quite sweet to being bone dry. Some ciders are light in colour and clear, others a darker in colour and cloudy.

We are blessed on Vancouver Island to have two cider makers that offer a suburb array of this drink. They are Sea Cider in Saanichton, and Merridale Cider in Cobble Hill. Both businesses have tasting rooms where you can sample and then buy their product. The websites noted above will let you know what they sell, list other locations selling it, inform you on other happenings at these cideries and provide additional recipes using cider.

In today's soup and chicken recipes I used Merridale Cider's Traditional Cider. This dry, effervescent cider is made from heritage varieties of English and French cider apples and added a world of flavour to both dishes.

In the salad recipe, I poached the pears in Sea Cider Kings and Spies. The company describes it as a blend of local heritage apples, primarily kings and northern spies, yielding a fruit-forward, sparkling cider. It infused the pears with a splendid, sweet-and-tart-at-the-same-time taste, which married well the salad’s creamy cheese, rich walnuts and earthy spinach.

I, of course, served cider with all of today's recipes.

RECIPES

Yam Soup with Cider and Spice

A splendid, smooth, yam-rich soup enhanced with flavourful cider, apple and a mix of spices.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 4 servings.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup dry cider

1 1/2 lbs. yams, peeled and cubed

1 large apple, peeled, cored and cubed

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

pinches ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1/3 cup light cream (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until tender. Mix in the flour and cook 2 minutes more. While stirring, slowly pour in the stock. Mix in the yam, apple and spices. Bring to a simmer, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until the yams are very tender. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or in the pot with a hand (immersion) blender. Return the soup to a simmer. Mix in the cream, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat in flour and shake off the excess.

Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and sear and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Set the chicken on a plate. Remove any oil from the skillet. Add the cider and sage and bring to a simmer. Simmer and reduce the cider to 1/3 cup. Whisk in the cream and honey, return to a simmer and simmer until a lightly thickened sauce forms. Whisk in the mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat through a few minutes, turning once or twice. Sprinkle in the parsley and serve.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small, but tall pot. Set in the pears, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool the pears in the cider mixture to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

When ready to make the salad, place the walnuts in a small skillet and set over medium heat. Heat the nuts until a little toasted, about 4 to 5 minutes, and then set aside.

Place 1 Tbsp. of the pear poaching liquid in a salad bowl. Add the vinegar, mustard and 2 tsp. honey and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Taste the dressing and add a little more honey, vinegar or oil, depending on your preference for a sweeter or tarter taste.

Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and slice lengthwise. Add the spinach to the dressing and toss to coat. Divide and mound the spinach on 4 plates. Arrange the sliced pears, walnuts and cheese on and around the spinach and serve.

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